Kidney disease has many physical symptoms, but sometimes people attribute it to other illnesses. Additionally, people with kidney disease often don't experience symptoms until later stages, when the kidneys fail or there is a lot of protein in the urine. This is one reason why only 10% of people with chronic kidney disease know they have the disease.
While the only way to know for sure if you have kidney disease is to get tested, pay attention to these 10 possible signs if you may have kidney disease. If you are at risk for kidney disease due to high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure, or if you are over 60 years old, it is important to get tested for kidney disease every year. Be sure to mention any symptoms you experience to your doctor.
1. You are more tired, have less energy, or have difficulty concentrating. Severe decreases in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired, weak, and have difficulty concentrating. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.
While the only way to know for sure if you have kidney disease is to get tested, pay attention to these 10 possible signs if you may have kidney disease. If you are at risk for kidney disease due to high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure, or if you are over 60 years old, it is important to get tested for kidney disease every year. Be sure to mention any symptoms you experience to your doctor.
1. You are more tired, have less energy, or have difficulty concentrating. Severe decreases in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired, weak, and have difficulty concentrating. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.
2. You have trouble sleeping. When the kidneys cannot filter properly, toxins remain in the blood instead of being excreted through the urine. This may cause difficulty falling asleep. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease, with sleep apnea being more common in people with chronic kidney disease than in the general population.
3. Your skin is dry and itchy. Healthy kidneys play many important roles. They remove waste and excess fluid from the body, help produce red blood cells, help keep bones strong, and maintain the right amount of minerals in the blood. Dry, itchy skin may be a sign of mineral and bone disease, which often accompanies end-stage kidney disease, when the kidneys are no longer able to maintain the proper balance of minerals and nutrients in the blood.
4. You feel the need to urinate more frequently. If you feel the need to urinate more frequently, especially at night, this may be a sign of kidney disease. When kidney filters become damaged, it can lead to an increased desire to urinate. Sometimes, this can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection or an enlarged prostate in men.
5. You will see blood in your urine. Healthy kidneys normally keep blood cells in the body as they filter waste products from the blood to produce urine, but when the kidneys' filters are damaged, these blood cells may begin to "leak" into the urine. In addition to signaling kidney disease, blood in the urine may indicate tumors, kidney stones, or infection.